Combined chain mounting and antiskid device for automobiles



J1me 1950 J. A. H. CASTONGAY 2,511,527

COMBINED CHAIN MOUNTING AND ANTISKID DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Original Filed June 24, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

gOSQPh GGS tOTIgQH 3 then passing the free end of the strap back through the wider slot '7, the strap being drawn tightly around the rim of the wheel.

By turning the nut 9 the clamping screw 8 will be advanced to lock the strap to the outside plate 3.

The ends of the side chains M of a tire chain I5 are then hooked to the open hook members I3, and the automobile is rolled forward durin which movement, the tire chain l5 will be carried up over the top of the wheel.

When the wheel has made one complete revolution, then the two ends of the side chains M are disconnected from the hook portion [3, and

I the two ends of each side chain are connected together by the fastening devices provided on the invention in which the tire mounting device is made as a permanent part' of the complete tire chain. This embodiment of the invention comprises the two plate elements 22 and 23, of which the plate element 22 is the inside plate element and the plate element 23 the outside plate element corresponding to the inside and outside plate elements 2 and 3 of Fig. 2.

These two plate elements are connected by the cross chain 24 corresponding to the cross chain 4 of Fig. 2, and the inside element 22 has permanently attached thereto a strap 25 corresponding to the strap 5 of Fig. 2.

The outside plate element is also provided with the two slots 26, 2?, corresponding to the slots 6 and I of Fig. 2, and with the bifurcated clamping screw 8 and its nut 9.

In the device shown in Fig. 6 one end of th tire chain element is permanently secured to the two plates 22, 23. The ends of the two side chains of the tire element are shown at 34 and each plate 22 and 23 is provided with a hole 35 through which the end link 34 of a side chain passes, said plates thus being permanently secured to the ends 34 of the side chains.

Each plate 22, 23 is provided at its other end with an open hook portion 33 to which the other end 36 of the side chains may be hooked. Each open hook 33 is situated in the plane of the corresponding plate and is entirely separate and independent from the clamping screw 8 which constitutes the means for clamping the strap 5 to the outside plate.

In usin the device shown in Fig. 6, the two plates 22, 23 with the cross chain element 24 and the strap 25 is secured to the wheel in the manner above described, that is by placing the cross chain element 24 against the tread portion of the tire with the plate 22 on the inside face of the tire and the plate 23 on the outside face, and then passing the free end of the stra 25 through one of the openings IS in the wheel provided for this purpose and subsequently locking the strap to the outside plate 23 by passing the strap first through the narrow slot 26 and then through the wider slot 21, and then tightening the nut 9 to clamp the clamping screw against the strap.

When these parts have been thus secured to the wheel, the automobile is rolled forward until the wheel makes a complete rotation thereby mounting the tire chain on the wheel, and after such complete rotation, the ends 35 of the side chains may be hooked onto the hook portions 33 thereby securing the tire chain in place.

In this embodiment the plates 22, 23 and the cross chain 24 remain mounted on the tire so long as the chain is in use, because said plates 22, 23 are permanently attached to one end of the side chains.

. The device shown in Fig. 2 has the advantage that if driving conditions are such that it is desirable to merely mount on the tire a temporary anti-skid device and complete tire chains are not needed, then the device herein shown can be secured to the wheel in the manner above described and used as an ordinary anti-skid chain.

One advantage of providing the side plates with a hooked portion [3 at each end is that when it is desired to install a tire chain on an automobile wheel, the automobile may be in such a position that it cannot be easily moved forward. In such case the device will be attached to the wheel as above described and the ends of-the side chains M of the tire chain l5 will be attached to the hooks l3 on the other end of the plates from that shown in Fig. 1 after which the automobile will be rolled backward thereby mounting the tire chain on the wheel.

Another advantage resulting from the provision of the hooks l3 ateach end of each side plate is that it makes it possible to use tire chains in which the fastening means at the end of the side chains has been damaged or broken off.

Such damaged or broken chains can be still made useful with my device by mounting them on the tire in the manner above described and then subsequently securing the damaged ends of the side chains to the other hooks l3 of the plates 2 and 3. In such case the combined chain mounting and anti-skid device will remain attached to the tire and will constitute the means for connecting the ends of they side chains of the tire chain.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 756,603, filed June 24, 1947.

I claim: 3

l. A combined tire chain mounting and antiskid device for automobiles comprising an inside plate element and an outside plate element, each plate element having at one end means for attaching thereto the end portion Of a side chain of a tire chain and at the other end an open hook for detachably engaging the other end of said side chain, a cross chain element connecting said plate elements, an attaching strap secured to the inside plate element and adapted to pass around the rim of an automobile wheel for fastening said device thereto, the outside plate element having a slot to receive the free end of the strap and strap clamping means carried by the outside plate and separate from the open hook thereon for clamping the strap thereto.

2. A combined tire chain mounting and antiskid device for automobiles, comprising an inside plate element and an outsideplate element, each plate element having at one end means for attaching thereto the end portion of a side chain of a tire chain, a cross chain element connecting said plate elements, an attaching strap secured to the inside plate element, the'outside plate element having a narrow slot and a wider slot through which the free end of the strap is threaded, a slotted clamping screw embracing the edge of said outside plate element and a clamping nut occupying the wider slot and havin a screw threaded engagement with said slotted clamping screw whereby turning movement 01' the nut will clamp the screw against the portion of the strap which passes through the wider slot and thus lock the strap to said outside plate.

3. A combined tire chain mounting and antiskid device for automobiles comprising an inside plate element and an outside plate element each having at each end a hook portion adapted to be engaged by the side chains of a tire chain, a cross chain element connecting said plate elements, an attaching strap permanently secured to the inside plate element and by which the device is attached to the automobile wheel, the outside plate element having a narrow slot and a wider slot to receive the free end of the strap, a slotted clamping screw embracing the inner edge of the outside plate element and a clamping nut occupying the wider slot thereof and having screw threaded engagement with said clamping screw whereby turning movement of the nut will cause the screw to clamp the strap against one edge of the wider slot and thereby lock the strap to said outside plate.

4. A combined tire chain mounting and antiskid device for automobiles comprising an inside plate element and an outside plate element, each plate element having at one end means for attaching thereto the end portion of a side chain of a. tire chain and having at the other end an open hook situated in the plane of the plate to which the other end of a side chain may be attached, a cross chain element connecting said plate elements, an attaching strap secured to the inside plate element and adapted to pass around when the cross chain element is in engagement with the tread surface thereof, the outside plate element having a slot to receive the free end Q1 said strap, and strap clamping means carriedhby the outside plate and independent of the open hook thereon for clamping the free end of the strap thereto.

5. A combined tire chain mounting and antiskid device for automobiles comprising an inside plate element and an outside plate element, each plate element having at one end means for atQ taching thereto the end portion of a side cha'iii of a tire chain and having at the other endl}, hook portion, a cross chain element connectin said plate elements, an attaching strap secure to the inside plate element, the outside plate ele ment having a narrow slot and a wider slf through which the free end of the strap threaded, a slotted clamping screw embracing the: edge of said outside plate element and a clamping; nut occupying the wider slot and having a scre i threaded engagement with 'said slotted clampin screw whereby turning movement of the nut wi clamp the screw against th'e'fportion of the stra; which passes through the wider slot and thus we the strap to said outside plate.

JOSEPH A. H. CASTONGAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,266,507 Ludwig May 14, 1918 Woodling et a1. May 14. 1929 2,150,448

Littmann et a1. Mar. 14, 1939 

